27 Nov. 45
"On 21 May 1935 they falsely
announced to the world, with intent to deceive and allay fears of
aggressive intentions, that they would respect the territorial
limitations of the Versailles Treaty and comply with the Locarno
Pact."
As a part of their program to weaken resistance in possible enemy
states, the Nazis followed a policy of making false assurances,
thereby tending to create confusion and a false sense of security.
Thus on the same date on which Germany renounced the armament
provisions of the Versailles Treaty, Hitler announced the intent of
the German Government to respect the territorial limitations of
Versailles and Locarno.
I offered in evidence this morning, as Exhibit USA-38, our
Document 2288-PS, the pertinent volume of the issue of the
Völkischer Beobachter of 21 May 1935, containing Hitler's
speech in the Reichstag on that date. In that speech he said:
"Therefore, the Government of the
German Reich shall absolutely respect all other articles pertaining
to the cooperation" --Zusammenleben, really meaning the living
together in harmony--"of the various nations, including
territorial agreements. Revisions which will be unavoidable as time
goes by it will carry out by way of a friendly understanding only.
"The Government of the German Reich has the intention not to
sign any treaty which it believes not to be able to fulfill. However,
it will live up to every treaty signed voluntarily even if it was
composed before this Government took over. Therefore, it twill in
particular adhere to all the obligations under the Locarno Pact, as
long as the other partners of the Pact also adhere to it."
For convenient reference, the territorial limitations in the
Locarno and Versailles Treaties include the following: The Rhine Pact
of Locarno, 16 October 1925, Article 1:
"The High Contracting Parties,
collectively and severally, guarantee, in the manner provided in the
following Articles: the maintenance of the territorial status quo,
resulting from the frontiers between Germany and Belgium, and between
Germany and France, and the inviolability of the said frontiers, as
fixed by, or in pursuance of the Treaty of Peace, signed at
Versailles, on June 28, 1919, and also the observance of the
stipulations of Articles 42 and 43 of the said Treaty, concerning the
demilitarized zone."
That has reference, of course, to the demilitarized zone of the
Rhineland.